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Former Canadian international Karina LeBlanc wasn’t looking to join the National Women’s Soccer League in a front office role. But when the opportunity arose, she hearkened back to last year when she suffered a serious health scare after giving birth to her daughter, Paris.

“I remember racing to the hospital, and I thought that was it,” LeBlanc said on a Zoom call with the media on Monday. “And I remember [Paris] was holding my finger and I said, ‘God, if you give me one more chance, I promise to make it matter.’ So this is me promising to make it matter.”

LeBlanc has been named the new general manager of the Portland Thorns in the NWSL. She is leaving her role at CONCACAF as the head of women’s football to join the Thorns and is believed to be the first Canadian general manager in NWSL history.

“I think this league is at a time where we need leadership to come together and connect,” she said. “I think the players want to feel seen and heard. And I think it's time for us to come together and provide hope, healing and that opportunity to rise.”

LeBlanc’s hire comes at a tumultuous time for both the league and the Thorns. Portland’s previous general manager, Gavin Wilkinson, was placed on administrative leave pending the results of an investigation. Wilkinson was the club’s general manager in 2015 when allegations of abuse by a former player against then-head coach Paul Riley were brought forward.

“This is a moment in time for all of us. And I think it's a moment where we get to write a new script for women's soccer in a different way,” LeBlanc said.

In 2015, the team investigated the allegations and did not renew Riley’s contract, but publicly did not state the reasons for the decision. In a statement, Wilkinson thanked Riley for his services.

LeBlanc said reading the allegations as originally reported in The Athletic made her cry. She was part of the Thorns’ organization in the NWSL’s inaugural season in 2013. She played with Mana Shim, one of the players who came forward with abuse allegations.

“Moving forward, I think one of the most important things is that we find and we create an environment so that everybody feels seen and heard. We create an environment that we connect, and we rise from this, but most importantly, we understand where we are,” she said.

“I think the truth is we all need to ask ourselves hard questions right now. And we all need – when we have that conversation sitting at the table – to say, ‘What can we do better? Where have we failed?’ And just be honest, because I think this is a moment in time for women’s soccer.”

Players from the Thorns had demanded that Wilkinson be placed on administrative leave. He remains the general manager of the Portland Timbers in MLS.

LeBlanc, 41, said she met with the players over the weekend, and that one of the biggest strengths she’ll bring to the role is her understanding of what it’s like to be in their shoes.

“I'm not coming in here saying that I have all the answers,” she said. “I think why that weekend was so emotional for me is because I sat and thought about all the teams I played for. I sat and thought about all the times that I struggled as a player.”

When asked how she would respond as a general manager if a player came to her with a complaint, LeBlanc said she took the position because Merritt Paulson, the CEO and owner of the Thorns, gave her autonomy to make those types of decisions.

“From what I've heard and seen, people really are like, ‘How can we be better?’ So the players have a role in that. The players voices do count. And it's moving forward in a different way than we have in the past,” LeBlanc said. “This is not just an NWSL issue. This is all of soccer globally.”

LeBlanc is one of a handful of women to ever hold the title of general manager in the NWSL, but she is quick to dismiss any kind of narrative that paints her as a diversity hire.

“I'm not the checkmark, right? I'm a black woman…. but that’s not why I was brought in here,” she said. “I was brought in here to continue being myself, to ask the hard questions, to be a part of this change in a positive way. Because I've been hurt too throughout my life. And I know what it's like to sit on the other side.”

Since 2019, LeBlanc has worked in CONCACAF as the head of women’s football, focusing on building the women’s game in the 41 confederations by focusing on areas such as grassroots initiatives. She also launched the Women’s Football Strategy in 2019, a plan to increase participation in women’s soccer in the CONCACAF region.

This will be LeBlanc’s first front-office role with a team, and she’s prepared for the challenges this new position will bring.

“I'm very well aware that this is going to be a difficult job,” she said. “But that's also what excites me… I'm coming into a winning club, and there's no chance I want to be average in this.”

As a player, LeBlanc, who grew up in Maple Ridge, B.C., had 110 caps for Canada before retiring in 2015. The goalkeeper appeared in five World Cups and two Olympics, winning bronze in the 2012 London Games. She finished her career with 47 clean sheets, third most all-time for Canada.

“I know how to win. And I say that with a smile because I do know how to win,” she said. “So will I be uncomfortable in some areas? Absolutely. But I'm not scared of that.”

LeBlanc’s new role also reunites her with Christine Sinclair, who is the current captain of the Thorns. The two were teammates on Canada for over 15 years, and the pair also played together with the Thorns in 2013, helping Portland win the league championship.

LeBlanc said she spoke to Sinclair before taking the role to have a better understanding of the team landscape in Portland.

“She was just like, ‘We need you,’” LeBlanc said. “When somebody like that says that, it makes it very personal and very right. And we had a genuine conversation. It was real. If you know me, I want to live a purpose-driven life… and this aligned to it.”

“With Karina the sky is the limit,” Sinclair said in a statement. “I’ve never met someone more passionate and set on growing the game… She is going to take this club to places I don’t think people think are possible. She’s going to help this club be the benchmark for women’s football around the world and I just can’t wait to get started.”

LeBlanc also drew parallels from her career as a goalkeeper to this new role during a turning point in women’s soccer.

“When a lot of people probably would think it would be crazy to walk into this situation, I'm bravely walking into this situation. I'm excited, because I think what we can do with this club that's already up there and take it to new levels is basically the goalkeeper mindset,” she said.

“It takes a brave person to be willing to be that last line, the one who handles the pressure, the one who loves the pressure…. Because the pressure in that position is what makes you win. That's why I love this. I love pressure.